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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25587964">royal runaway</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/acyria/pseuds/stilljunhui'>stilljunhui (acyria)</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>VERIVERY (Band)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Royalty, Fluff, M/M, Modern Royalty, Prince!Kangmin, Yongseung owns a bakery</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 04:41:32</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>6,212</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25587964</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/acyria/pseuds/stilljunhui</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>This wasn't how Kangmin had envisioned his day of finally being away from the palace to go, but found that he honestly couldn't complain; seated in a bakery with a cute boy in front of him, who would?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Kim Yongseung/Yoo Kangmin</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>65</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>royal runaway</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>this was a fic meant for a different group / pairing at first, but I edited it to be kangseung (is that what they're called i still dont know) instead since i loved the idea of kangmin being the sort of prince who would sneak out of the palace and also my mind said baker yongseung in an apron? yes and yes.</p><p> </p><p>hmu on twitter @cubeyongs !!!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Your Highness, you know you’re not allowed to leave the palace grounds without proper supervision. There are strict rules about the matter and―“</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Of course I know, that’s why it’s called <em>sneaking out</em>,” the prince interrupted his aide with a cheeky grin, already throwing on an oversized hoodie that he could melt into should he need to hide. Kangmin looked at his reflection in the mirror, grin widening in satisfaction. He could definitely blend in with the rest of the boys his age with his current get up. Whoever invented online shopping was a genius, since he wouldn’t have been able to shop for regular clothes by himself.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Next to him, Hoyoung’s expression grew more stressed out with each word.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Prince Kangmin, I really can’t allow this to happen, if word gets to your mother―“</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“It won’t if you don’t tell her!” Kangmin said again, cutting off the elder with a bright smile. He looked positively excited; why wouldn’t he be? He’s been cooped up in the palace for most of his life, only going out when there were official royal affairs. In other words, boring parades where he was mostly confined to the car either way. He turned to face Hoyoung with the smile still in place. He looked so happy that the royal aide softened a little. “You won’t tell her, right?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">After a few careful seconds, Hoyoung sighed in defeat.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“May I ask how you plan to sneak out at all? There are guards everywhere by the gate.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I found a crack by the garden wall I can slip through.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“If you can slip out, other people can slip in,” the blonde noted with a frown. “Shouldn’t we get that fixed?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The prince nodded cheerfully, “I absolutely agree with you. We can do that after I get out and back in the palace.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">His little quest to leave the palace grounds wasn’t an impromptu decision by any means. Kangmin’s been planning how it would go for a few months and figuring out how to get out of the palace took him the longest time. He wasn’t going to get rid of his one ticket out. Not yet, anyway, since Hoyoung did have a point about the safety of everybody else in the palace. He briefly wondered how he’ll get out again once the wall was fixed though before dismissing the thought.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He’d be okay with just having at least <em>one</em> free day.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The outside world wasn’t going to be nice to him. That’s what most of the royal officials told him, along with what his family would use to scare him into staying within the palace walls back when he was younger. Kangmin didn’t think it was going to be that bad. It’s not like he was going to announce that he was the prince or anything. He might be recognized, but that’s also why he bought a face mask and shades to go with his look.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Finally satisfied with his attire of a hoodie, jeans, and sneakers, Kangmin turned towards his aide.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Well?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Please don’t forget to keep your identity hidden at all times. Also, be careful of your phone at all times. Text me when you change locations. Call me if anything happens immediately and I’ll come get you,” Hoyoung said seriously in response, going through even more scenarios before finally ending with a heavy sigh, realizing he was talking to a bright-eyed 17 year old. “Just be safe, Prince Kangmin.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">That was good enough for Kangmin, who stated he’ll be back before sundown and bid the other boy good bye, heading out his room. It was a slow day in the palace that day, the time being just a little after lunch with most of the residents resting. In other words, the perfect chance for him to head all the way to the back of the garden wall and slip out without being spotted. He thought about not telling Hoyoung about it too, but that was impossible with how the aide was always around him.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Slipping through the wall felt like slipping into a different dimension altogether.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He had to walk a bit further before he could reach the small city that surrounded the palace. Everything around him felt like it was attacking his senses. The sky was bright and clear, the trees that he could see a vivid green, the buildings that came into view reminded him just how modern the era was. Sure, he had a phone and a laptop back in the palace, but the overall interior of the place was still rather old and outdated.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He was nearing the city when Kangmin decided to ditch the sunglasses he had on. They were getting in the way of his full experience. He wanted to take everything in since he wouldn’t know when he’ll ever have the chance to return, after all. He strolled along the streets, stopping by to admire some shops here and there. He brought money with him incase he wanted to bring something home, but decided it was still too early to spend it all. Things felt like a normal, calm day. As normal as it could get for a runaway prince.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">That was, until he nearly ran into a fruit stall.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Watch out!”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kangmin stopped in his tracks just inches away from the wooden boxes of fruit. He was too busy looking around to actually have the time to look where he was walking towards. When he finally did look in front, he was met with another boy with wide eyes and a worried look on his face. The brunette also had an arm stretched out across Kangmin’s chest from where he easily stopped the prince from hitting the stall, being taller as well.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“If those fruit fell, you would have had to pay me for all of them,” the boy said pointedly, lowering his arm.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">This was his first interaction outside of the palace, Kangmin realized. There was a feeling of joy bubbling inside of him, which he tried his best to hold in since that would be weird to show―he couldn’t exactly grin widely after nearly toppling a bunch of fruits over, right? He took note of the other boy and wondered briefly if everybody he was going to meet outside the palace was going to be this handsome. He wasn’t sure how exactly the conversation was supposed to go, so he settled for just saying the rest of his thoughts out loud.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I could have afforded it,” the prince said honestly, thinking about the amount he brought with him. It could definitely afford everything with more to spare.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The boy blinked back in surprise before taking it as a joke, “you look like you still need to ask for allowance from your parents, how could you afford to pay for all this?”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He gestured towards the wide array of fruits, some of which Kangmin had never even seen before. Why were there so much fruit, anyway? The prince glanced up and took note of the shop some more, finally realizing that it was actually a bakery, with a small group of people inside. Next to the fruit stand was a display of various cakes and pastries, with a sign that said there was more available inside.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I’m 17 years old. I’m fine,” he stubbornly replied instead, although he was sure that just strengthen the other’s point that he was too young to be walking around. Kangmin chose to ignore it as he lowered his mask a little bit to further peek at the the assortment of food. Dessert sounded good right about then. He could probably stay here a bit before continuing with his day.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“And I’m 20,” the brunette stated, but took note of how Kangmin was looking around. “If I’m here trying to earn more money, you should be, too.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kangmin nodded to show that he agreed, as he thought about how earning money was the least of his problems, thoughts distracted by the idea of dessert.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Can I try some cakes?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Before the other could reply, the door to the restaurant opened and a red-haired boy appeared.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Yongseung, the strawberry shortcakes are gone,” he said, glancing at Kangmin for a moment before glancing away. “The table inside wants to order another one to bring home.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Be right there,” the brunette said, as the other boy headed back inside. So his name was Yongseung. Kangmin was relieved he didn’t have to ask for the boy’s name himself. He wasn’t supposed to reveal his identity; while how he looked might not have been common knowledge, he was sure his name was going to ring at least some bells with how similar it sounded to the current king’s name. Still, a part of him wanted to introduce himself, regardless. Like normal people do.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You want to try some cakes, right? We never deny a customer,” Yongseung said more cheerfully than before, gesturing towards the restaurant. “Head inside and I’ll get to you in a bit.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">With that, Kangmin found himself seated near the corner of the quaint little bakery, which was good since it was away from the general view of the store. Customers wouldn’t be able to spot him that easily. He was waiting for Yongseung to finish the other table’s orders before doing his since his shop partner―Gyehyeon, he also learned while Yongseung was seating him, since he appeared again to hand the menu―hadn’t mastered it yet. They served what seemed like a variety of cakes, most of which Kangmin could easily get the palace bakers to make as well, but that didn’t matter.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He settled for a slice of red velvet cake and a vanilla frappe, with Gyehyeon taking his order since the other boy was still busy.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The prince hadn’t even noticed that after taking his order, Gyehyeon was staring at him a few seconds longer than normal, since his thoughts drifted to admiring the bakery’s random little decor. It wasn’t until the other boy bent down to eye level, caught his attention, and suddenly said, “you know, you look <em>really</em> familiar.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kangmin involuntarily gulped, the face mask he had on suddenly feeling heavy.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Really?” He asked with a small chuckle.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You’re going to need to get rid of the face mask before you can eat, unless you plan to get cake all over it,” Gyehyeon noted with a straight face right before he left. “Maybe I can tell by then.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Oh. Right. Kangmin completely missed out on that fact. He watched the table that was there before him leave, thankfully, as he settled into a small moment of panic. It would be rude to suddenly leave, especially because he already placed his order. Yongseung was probably already preparing it back in the kitchen. He could just hope not to be noticed? That should be fine, right?</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">His moment of panic was interrupted by Yongseung approaching the table with a plate in one hand and a cup on the other.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Here you are,” he said happily, setting the food down.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Rather than leave again, Kangmin was pleasantly surprised to find that Yongseung had pulled up the chair across from him and sat down.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“It’s a new recipe,” he said, settling down with his arms on the table. “I wanted to hear your thoughts, if that’s okay.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">It was perfectly fine, Kangmin thought to himself, except for the part about revealing his face. It’s not like there was nobody else in the bakery except for the two of them at the moment and Gyehyeon, who was fixing stuff here and there. Deciding that he should be fine, Kangmin finally pulled the mask off his face. He glanced at Yongseung to gauge his reaction and was surprised to find the same, waiting expression as before.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“My name is Kangmin,” the prince said instead of a proper reply, checking to see if that would set anything off.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The older boy just nodded and smiled, “nice to meet you. You probably heard from earlier, but I’m Yongseung.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Huh. Maybe he wasn’t a well known prince after all.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kangmin nodded back and decided there was nothing left for him to say, before finally taking his first bite of the cake. His eyes widened each time he chewed; it was by far better than anything he’s ever had back at the palace, which was saying something considering the quality of their food. He quickly took another bite, smiling happily.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Is it safe to assume you like it?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He completely forgot about the boy seated across him for the few moments that he enjoyed his cake, snapping back once Yongseung spoke again. The brunette had a pleased smile on his face as Kangmin nodded enthusiastically.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“This is the best cake I’ve ever tasted,” he said earnestly in between chewing. “You beat all the cakes I’ve tried back home.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Oh, are you not from around here?” Yongseung asked, which was when Kangmin realized his slip up. Thankfully, what he meant as <em>back at the palace</em> was understood by the other as <em>back where I’m from</em>, which wasn’t really far off when he thought about it. The younger boy nodded as Yongseung made a sound of acknowledgement. “Where are you from then, if you don’t mind me asking? I was hoping we could make you a regular here so I could sell more cakes.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kangmin faltered for a moment as he searched for an answer, “j-just around the area. Not from here, exactly, but near. I would love to have this every day.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I’d be happy to see you, too,” Yongseung replied, which did something to Kangmin’s heart that he immediately labeled as dangerous. Was being kept in the palace turning him into a hopeless romantic, too? He didn’t even usually think about relationships and the sort; from a young age, he figured he’ll just be arranged into a marriage. He never liked the idea, but he definitely disliked it all the more now that he was given a chance to actually meet people.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">It was just his luck that he would end up crushing on the first person he talked to. He knew the older boy meant that he would be happy to see the prince since he was a paying customer, which Kangmin repeated to himself for a few more minutes as he finished his cake. Getting rid of his fantasies, he grinned back at Yongseung.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Can I have another slice? Or do you have another cake I can try? Can I try one of each flavour you have?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The brunette looked at him in surprise, before chuckling, “I know I said I have to earn money, but I wouldn’t want to send you to the hospital for diabetes. Plus, we have a lot of cakes. Again, I don’t think you can afford everything.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I can though,” Kangmin muttered softly to himself.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Yongseung must have heard him regardless, as he laughed a bit and joked, “hey, don’t tell me you’re some kind of rich guy’s son.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Not far from the truth, the prince thought to himself, choosing to say nothing but smile as a response.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“If that’s the case, maybe you can just bring home cake for your family,” the brunette continued to say, tone still light. “If I’m lucky, they might like it enough and it’ll spread to the rest of the rich people circle.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kangmin took a sip of his frappe, which was also pretty good, before asking again, “can I get at least one more slice of something else, then? I’ll decide which cake box to bring home after.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The older boy regarded him with a thoughtful look for a few seconds before shrugging.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Sure, I guess it can’t hurt. Definitely won’t hurt us. Gyehyeon! Can he have the menu again?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The red-haired boy appeared with a menu just a few moments later. This time, he once again openly stared at Kangmin, who could feel the boy’s gaze even without meeting his eyes. Kangmin silently wished that Gyehyeon wouldn’t be able to tell who he was even with the mask down as he stared at the menu. He couldn’t stare at the menu forever, though. Nervous, he looked up towards the other boy.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Can I get the cheesecake?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Gyehyeon’s eyes widened for a split second at the sight of his face in full view, sending panic through the prince who was about to exclaim that he could explain why he was out in the public and all, before the other resumed his straight face that even Kangmin was beginning to realize was just how he usually looked. Nodding, the boy soon disappeared back to the kitchens, while the raven-haired boy stared back in wonder.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">There was definitely a look of recognition in his eyes. Why didn’t he say anything?</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Across the table, Yongseung watched the scene unfold with open curiosity, as he waited until he got Kangmin’s attention again before saying, “I don’t usually see Gyehyeon that nervous.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Ah,” the younger boy began to say, chuckling awkwardly. “I wonder why.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“He’s usually chatty around cute guys,” Yongseung said, a slight teasing tone to his voice that Kangmin tried his best not to find flirty. He wasn’t succeeding. “This is surprising.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">It was then that he realized this could easily go two ways. He could ignore the fact that he was presented with a clearly good looking individual seated right in front of him, eat his cake, then go back home to continue his mundane life. The second option was the one that seemed more appealing the more Kangmin stared at Yongseung, which was to flirt back to the best of his ability. It wouldn’t hurt.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Except the fact that they were never going to see each other again.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“What about you?” Kangmin found himself asking before he could stop himself, developing a similar teasing tone.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Yongseung grinned, “I think I’m doing pretty well right now, actually, all things considered.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Unknowingly, Kangmin ended up spending more time in the bakery than he thought he would. After Gyehyeon arrived with his second slice of cake, he disappeared once more, never once mentioning what he knew. Yongseung also remained blissfully unaware, chatting with Kangmin about things that made the prince feel normal for the first time in his life―thankfully the prince knew his fair share of random information, but it was nothing compared to how much the other knew.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">A few customers entered now and then that caused him to leave for a few moments, but Yongseung would always return to the table. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">It was nice.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The cheesecake was just as good as the previous cake, which meant he spent a few moments wondering which one he should bring back home before deciding to go with both. He could just tell the kitchens that he had the cakes delivered. While waiting for the older boy to return from tending to another customer, Kangmin was considering how to execute his plan when he suddenly felt his phone vibrate in his pocket.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Hoyoung was calling.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Hello?” He picked up after a few moments.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Your Highness,” came the aide’s voice from the other end. “It’s almost sundown. You should really be heading back by now.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kangmin glanced over at Yongseung, who was still occupied.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Can I ask for more time?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“It wouldn’t be safe, Prince Kangmin. Plus, they’ll look for you during dinner.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Right. Kangmin sighed, “fine. I’ll be back soon.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The call ended and Yongseung was still busy with what looked like taking a lot of orders from a lady who just came in. He couldn’t exactly butt in the conversation. Glancing around and soon spotting the tuft of red hair, Kangmin decided to stand and head to where Gyehyeon was standing by the counter. The latter looked only slightly alarmed to see him, but didn’t run away, at least.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I have to go, but can I get a box each of the cakes I tried earlier?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Gyehyeon nodded, “of course, Prince Kangmin.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You really do know who I am,” the prince stated in mild surprise.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The other boy nodded again, “I keep up with the news. I don’t think Yongseung noticed though.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Let’s keep it that way,” Kangmin said earnestly, mostly to himself, as Gyehyeon chuckled a bit and left to take care of his order. Leaving the bakery would also mean leaving all this behind, which should be for the best. It’s not like he expected Yongseung to still remember him a few days after, anyway, so revealing his identity wasn’t really going to do anything. Besides, despite how the day went, Yongseung could have just kept him company since he was alone or since he was doing his job at the store owner.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">These were the things Kangmin told himself as he made his way out the bakery.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Only to be stopped by someone―Yongseung―calling out his name.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Kangmin!”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The prince considered pretending not to hear it, but he was already turning back before he could stop himself. He really was bad at listening to his rational thoughts. Yongseung approached him quickly, finally done with discussing things with the customer from before, who followed behind him to leave the store as well. The brunette saw the customer out with a professional smile and a quick bow, before turning to Kangmin.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Were you leaving already?” He asked, suddenly looking more nervous than Kangmin had seen him all afternoon, especially because he’s been so aloof.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The prince nodded, opting for a small smile, “yeah. I’m taking home two cakes.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I noticed,” Yongseung said, smiling back. He glanced around then back towards Kangmin again, running a hand through his already messy hair. A nervous gesture, Kangmin noticed, trying his best not to smile at that. “If you can, drop by again once that runs out. Try out other flavours. Maybe some of our fruit specials.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“The fruit I almost ruined,” Kangmin said, lips quirking into a smile as the taller boy laughed; how was it fair that even someone’s laugh could be attractive? He ignored the steadily quickening pace of his heart as he took in the words for what they were, which could easily be summarized as Yongseung asking him to come back to the bakery in the future.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The brunette grinned, “yeah, those fruit. See you again, then?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I’ll try my best,” the younger said instead of a no, taking note of the small breath of relief that seemed to wash away Yongseung’s nerves, glad his answer was good enough. Again, it wasn’t exactly a lie. He could always try again; Kangmin just wasn’t sure if he was going to succeed. He couldn’t exactly escape every day, Hoyoung would eventually die of worry. He also had the occasional royal lessons he had to attend, which took up most of his week already.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Somehow, the walk back to the palace felt a lot quicker, almost as if didn’t even spend the day outside. Kangmin still managed to sneak through the garden wall, easily making his way back to his room, greeting Hoyoung along the way. He changed into his regular clothes before heading to the kitchens to store the cakes. His mother would probably enjoy those. He figured it’ll last just a week or so.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Anything interesting that happened outside?” Hoyoung asked later that night after he finished telling Kangmin his schedule for the next day.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Other than the cakes? Not really, I guess,” Kangmin said, thoughts flitting back to Yongseung for a moment. He could also still remember the sweet smell of the bakery, the creaminess of the frappe, and the first few minutes he shared with the baker himself. Yongseung had looked rather shy and quiet at first, but he turned to be the talkative who loved to talk about what he knew, especially the cakes. Hoyoung must have noticed his wistful tone.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Your Highness, did anything else happen? You didn’t go anywhere else?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kangmin shook his head, “I stayed there all afternoon. It’s a nice shop, really good food.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He hesitated for a moment, before he figured he could tell Hoyoung anything.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“It was owned by these two guys, Yongseung and Gyehyeon. They bake all their products themselves with the fruits coming from a nearby farm. I’m not sure if a lot of people buy from them, but there really should be. The cakes are fantastic, Yongseung makes them so well. He’s really got a talent for these things,” the prince ended up babbling, commenting more about Yongseung and his nice smile and expressive eyes.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Prince, it sounds more like you stayed for the baker than the cake,” Hoyoung said, teasingly at first, before his expression turned into a worried one once more. “You told him who you were?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Of course not,” Kangmin answered. “The other guy, Gyehyeon, recognized me though.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">There was a moment of silence before the aide spoke again, “do you wish to see him again?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Did he? The answer was definitely a yes. In the few hours they spent, Kangmin was very much interested in getting to know the other boy more. Would he? That was iffy. He could sneak out every now and then, but if he ever got caught, he was dead. Should he? That was definitely a no. He was still a prince, after all. There were rules for this sort of thing. Even without saying anything, Hoyoung knew what was on his mind, as the elder sighed.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I hate seeing you so sad,” the royal aide said sincerely.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Don’t worry about it,” Kangmin said, waving it off by plastering a bright grin on his face.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The next day, Kangmin found himself sneaking through the garden wall crack regardless of his apprehensions, even if he told himself the night before that he wouldn’t do it again. As always, rational thoughts out the window. This time, it was definitely more impulsive than anything else, as he even managed to sneak away from Hoyoung in time to do it while the aide was busy. He received a very frantic phone call just a few minutes after he was back in the city, as the prince ensured he’ll be fine.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I’ll just be heading to the bakery again,” the prince said cheerfully.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Hoyoung groaned on the other end, “you had so much in store for today, I’ll have to reschedule them again. What will I tell the officials who will look for you? Dongheon in particular―”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Tell them I’m sick,” Kangmin said dismissively, walking the path he knew that lead to the bakery; not even the name of his strict fencing instructor could scare him into returning to the palace. “I’ll bring back a cupcake for him or something.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He hung up before Hoyoung could nag further just as he rounded the corner that lead to the bakery, this time knowing that there was going to be a fruit stall in his way. Kangmin left the palace around the same time as the day before, which meant the bakery also had a few customers still having dessert. Gyehyeon was the one who greeted him by the door with a look of obvious surprise.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Are you allowed to be here again?” He blurted out immediately.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kangmin grinned, “nope. Can I sit in the same spot as yesterday?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Gyehyeon led him back to the corner without another word, handing him the menu before heading off. He must have informed Yongseung that Kangmin was there because a few moments later, the head baker appeared with his apron still on and some flour marks on his cheeks. Kangmin couldn’t help but giggle at the sight. Yongseung scanned the bakery before his eyes finally landed on the prince and made his way over.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You look like a mess,” the younger boy greeted cheerfully.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I have to put in all my effort into baking those cakes,” Yongseung replied without missing a beat. He didn’t sit down right away like Kangmin had hoped, instead he regarded the prince with a thoughtful look before continuing to speak. “I didn’t think you’d return so quickly after buying twowhole cakes, but I’m not complaining. What’s your order?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Maybe I’m here for something else,” Kangmin said as he placed the menu down on the table, eyes twinkling in amusement at how Yongseung’s eyes widened a little and a slight flush appeared on his cheeks, before catching himself and resuming his usual air of nonchalance.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The brunette was about to say something, but was interrupted by Gyehyeon calling his name.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“We have to finish a few more orders. Tell Gyehyeon what you want instead once you’ve decided,” Yongseung explained to Kangmin, who nodded silently because really―he was mainly there to see the other boy again, no matter how great their cakes were, but he wasn’t sure he could tell Gyehyeon<em> that </em>exactly―and shooed him back to the kitchen.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The bakery felt busier compared to the day before, with customers flowing in and out, leaving both Yongseung and Gyehyeon with no real free time to chat with Kangmin. He didn’t feel so bad about it though, as he entertained himself by watching the way Yongseung would explain the cakes to the customers or the way Gyehyeon was becoming more comfortable in his presence. It was an hour into his stay when the people gradually lessened, with Yongseung finally returning with a plate in hand.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“On the house,” he said with a flourish, placing down what looked like chocolate cake. “Since you still haven’t made up your mind, apparently.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kangmin shook his head, “I can still pay. I insist. I’ve told you that I’m here for something else, anyway.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“O-oh,” Yongseung stuttered awkwardly, finally slipping into the seat across the younger boy.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The prince grinned brightly, “aren’t you going to ask what it is?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“What would it be?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Gyehyeon’s phone number would be great,” the raven-haired boy said promptly, holding in his laughter for a few seconds at Yongseung’s dejected expression, before bursting into a fit of giggles that was actually really hard to control. Across him, Yongseung’sexpressive face went from sad, confused, to relieved all at once as he groaned.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You were joking, right?” Yongseung whined. “Please say so, I baked this cake for you and everything.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kangmin nodded quickly, taking a hold of the fork and finally getting ready to eat the cake, “of course. Although I’m not sure if this is going too quickly, we met just yesterday.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The older boy hummed in thought, “I’d rather not deny I’m attracted to you. I think it’s gotten more obvious. Am I safe to assume you’re here for the same reason?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The prince paused in the middle of taking his first bite, Yongseung’s words ringing in his head. That wasn’t something he expected to hear right off the bat, even if he was slightly hoping for it. Kangmin was ultimately glad that it wasn’t weird for him to end up interested in someone he just met. Dating probably went this way for regular people; which brought him back to his bigger issue of being an actual prince. He’d hate for something to begin and get cut short.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">A nagging voice at the back of his head that sounded slightly like Hoyoung was telling him that continuing this was a bad idea, but every fiber of his being just wanted this one thing in his life. This one, normal thing, even if it wouldn’t turn out well in the end. Who knows, it could, right? For some reason, the more he thought about this, the louder Hoyoung’s voice in his head got, saying his name.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Prince Kangmin!”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Turned out, it wasn’t in his head at all.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kangmin was momentarily saved from his mini crisis of replying to Yongseung, whom he didn’t even realized he left hanging, only to face an even bigger one as his royal aide himself was right next to their table. At least he walked into the bakery alone and without a row of guards, which was supposed to be the protocol. Still, the prince frowned at the blonde.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“How did you even find me here?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“There was an address on the cake box. I’m so sorry to cut your day short, but we must go back,” Hoyoung said urgently, forgetting how he had just referred to Kangmin as the prince, thus giving away who he was to Yongseung. The younger boy definitely took note of it though, as he glanced from Hoyoung’s worried expression to Yongseung, who had his mouth slightly open in shock. The aide continued, “there’s going to be a visit from a neighbouring land, you need to be there.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The prince took another bite of his cake before responding, mouth still half full, “and if I don’t want to?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The blonde hesitated, “please, Your Highness. The queen was looking for you earlier. I said you were away for your fencing lesson. She insisted your presence. That, and I owe Dongheon for using him as an excuse when you also<em> clearly </em>ditched him today, so really―”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Finally snapping back to reality, Yongseung let out an audible gasp, interrupting the complaining aide.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“<em>You’re the prince?</em>”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kangmin nodded, “Gyehyeon knew.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“<em>Gyehyeon knew?</em>”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">From behind the counter, there was a loud clash of noise. That was probably a yes from Gyehyeon, in his own way. Yongseung looked too shocked to continue speaking, which made Kangmin feel a little bit irritated that such a good day―it was just getting better, too―had to be ruined by royal affairs again. He was so close to experiencing things like regular people, yet here he was, being dragged back to the palace again.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Please,” Hoyoung spoke again, a pained look on his face as he glanced at the nearby wall clock. “You can discuss matters another day.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The younger boy couldn’t help but scoff a little at that, “will you really let me out again?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I can’t stop you even if I tried.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">That made the prince feel a little bit better since that was true, plus a bit guilty that he was getting annoyed at Hoyoung of all people when the elder had always just been looking out for him. He took a forkful of cake and shoved it towards the aide, “help me finish this amazing cake and then we’ll leave, okay?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“This is crazy,” Yongseung whispered, mostly to himself, but Kangmin picked up on it anyway while Hoyoung dutifully helped finish the remaining bits of chocolate cake. The brunette looked like he was still in a state of shock, “I’ve been flirting with the prince. The actual prince.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“If it’s any consolation,” Kangmin butted in with a grin. “I was flirting back.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">There goes the baker’s eyes going wide again as he nodded, agreeing that it did, in fact, make him feel better. Kangmin ate the last of his cake with help of his aide, who was still chewing furiously as he once again said they absolutely had to go. The prince finally relented, sighing as he stood up to take his leave. Yongseung quickly followed suit, still looking rather shaken by the events. This wasn’t how Kangmin imagined things to go. He would have been perfectly fine with Yongseung never finding out.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You weren’t kidding when you said you could afford all those fruit,” Yongseung was saying at realization dawned on him. “You could probably buy this whole bakery.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Technically,” the prince replied jokingly. “As a ruler, I own the land. I already own this bakery.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Damn, that’s right,” the brunette said, picking up on the lighter tone of conversation and going with it. He looked a little more relaxed after the small quip, which Kangmin was thankful for. He just hoped that things with Yongseung will at least remain a little bit the same in terms of the way the other treated him―flirting aside, he just saw Kangmin as a regular, young boy who liked cake. Now he’s probably The Prince in his mind, capital emphasis included.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Beside them, Hoyoung pointedly cleared his throat.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kangmin sighed loudly, “yeah, let’s go. I’ll be back, one way or another.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He was nearly out the door when he felt fingers close around his wrist, stopping him in his tracks. Kangmin turned around immediately to face the brunette, who looked surprised at his own actions as well, but the latter quickly snapped out of it enough to ask Kangmin for his phone number. Yongseung released the younger’s wrist as he did so, though both of them had a slight blush present on their cheeks.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Something I should have done yesterday but forgot amidst all the baking,” Yongseung admitted.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Just telling you now will be no fun so I’m going to make you wait a bit,” Kangmin said mysteriously, before turning back towards Hoyoung and quickly getting in the car that waited, leaving the older boy clearly confused. He couldn’t help but smile to himself as Yongseung’s expression went from questioning, to understanding, to amused as he waved the prince away.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Beside him, the royal aide immediately asked, “what exactly did you mean by that? Why didn’t you just give him your number?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“He knows I’m the prince now,” Kangmin answered, a wicked grin forming on his lips; something that meant it was going to give Hoyoung a headache. “I might as well have fun with it.”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Honestly surprised this reached 6k words,,,,?? Anyway! The cliff hanger at the end is deliberate since I'm thinking of a part two that explores this from Yongseung's POV ♡<br/><br/>You can find me on <a href="https://twitter.com/stilljunhui">twitter~</a> ♡<br/><br/>If you like my work and would like to support me, <a href="https://ko-fi.com/stilljunhui">please click here!</a></p></blockquote></div></div>
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